Friday, 31 August 2012

It's all going 'bootiful' on the Visitor front because I have now finished fixing the twenty little guys to bases and have also covered each of their tiny toes up:

Click the Pic!

You can see that the front row has also started to get some plates added to their chests. I will be adding boot tops and gauntlet cuffs as well as finishing off all the chest/back plates by joining them together. It is taking a little longer than I would have hoped because they are very tiny and I am in constant fear of dropping them. The colour scheme I am going to go for will be dark blue clothing, red boots/gloves/plates and very pale green skin (the red plates will separate the blue uniform from the green skin). The dreadnoughts will be all blue with some red script on the carapace of each head.

Thursday, 30 August 2012

I received a lovely couple of parcels yesterday. First of all, I got my bases and Green Stuff (plus a lolly!) from Heresy Miniatures. Next I got my Grey Aliens (plus an extra freebie one... so thanks very much to them!) from Tengu Miniatures.

The Tengu Greys are absolutely perfect for my plans as they are almost exactly the same height as the Grymn. They would also fit inside the Eldar Dreadnoughts and walkers that I plan to use them with so everything is cool. I have begun to base the Greys and once I have done that, I will start the conversion work (boots, gloves, collars and belts). I have twenty of the standard Greys and the freebie one which has a space helmet and suit.

Here is a pic of the Greys and a very WIP paint job on the first of the Dreadnoughts along with a scale shot of the Greys against a Grymn:

Click the Pic!

Now all I have to do is finish the commissions and I can get really involved with the Visitor invasion party.

Monday, 27 August 2012

As I mentioned yesterday, I have been gathering together old Eldar Dreadnoughts and going through the motions of assembling and painting them. Seeing as E-Bay has been a good friend to me of late, I have managed to get hold of six... including three which are yet to arrive. The one I have already assembled was from my attic... so at the moment the force will have seven Dreadnoughts and 20 little greys.

So... I get things from E-Bay and they are covered in paint so I need to de-base them, break them down into their components and strip the paint and glue off. I recently learned the merits of Dettol for paint stripping so I dunk the components into Dettol and leave them for 24 hours before brushing them vigorously and re-dunking.

A lot of people dilute their Dettol but I tend to use it neat so that when I brush, the paint doesn't turn into a sticky mess. The only time I add water is when I have finished stripping and it is just to rinse the Dettol off.

So... I finished stripping the paint off but there is superglue on some of the pieces. I thought I'd get some Nitromors to finish off the job. Nitromors is only usable on metal as it will pretty much dissolve everything else. It is good for getting rid of old Green-Stuff, Milliput and glues along with any stubborn bits of paint that the Dettol didn't shift. So I went to buy some and was astounded to see it for sale at £11-95!!! Rats to that... so I went to Wilkinsons and it was £6-95 (much more reasonable). While I was there I also got some more cheap tooth brushes for the paint stripping.

Once all the Dreadnoughts are ready to be assembled (they are in the Nitromors at the moment) they will need basing so I have gone for some 50mm bases from Heresy Miniatures. They are a perfect size and it gave me the opportunity to buy another ribbon of Green Stuff.

On the subject of Green Stuff, I have some of THIS and have had a nightmare with it. It is so much less user friendly than THIS. It is good value but storing and using it is much more difficult than it living in its own box and just cutting of a little segment of ribbon. It may just be me of course...

I am in quite a slump at the moment. I really want to be sculpting but I just can't seem to get motivated. It will bite me if I'm not careful because I only have until 6th September to finish the cyclist!

Ho Hum...

I am hoping that the Dreadnought project will stimulate some much needed enthusiasm. That said, I will need to decide on what colour to paint them... at the moment I am thinking a black/dark grey with some red accents here and there and I am also thinking that the Greys will be green instead (with black/dark grey suits).

A change is as good as a rest.

##EDIT## As it happens... I am painting the dreadnoughts very dark blue. Isn't it funny how ideas ebb and flow.

Sunday, 26 August 2012

I have been sculpting a bit this week and for some reason I've also become completely fixated with a big distraction. What? Me distracted again? surely not... but yes, I have become distracted again.

E-Bay has been my friend over the last couple of weeks and I have collected together a few of these:

Click the Pic!

As you will see, I have assembled an old style Eldar Dreadnought (Wraithlord). I have padded out the rear of the head so that it could feasibly house a pilot... did I say pilot? Well... I've decided that these would be good support for some little people. Now I thought long and hard about what would work with these and I thought... Greys. My first thought was ones that come from Tengu Miniatures... so I ordered a few.

Click the Pic!

I will be adding some clothing to them but apart from that, they will remain as they are. Should be fun.

Apart from that, I have added a bit of putty to the cyclist but not very much. Henry the kitten has been keeping me busy.

Sunday, 19 August 2012

What can I say? After a five hour drive yesterday, an evening of celebrating until very late and then a five hour drive home this morning; I have had no time for anything other than bemoaning the horrible humidity of the English summer day we are having.

I had a good time yesterday and it was worth the trip.

So...

Not a lot to really say...

I have decided that rotating engines on my drop-ship, won't be happening.

Hopefully, the next post will have a bit more to show off but I guess it is a good thing every now and again to have a break from it all.

Saturday, 18 August 2012

I have had another one of those quiet weeks. Virtually no hobby stuff, a bit of writing and a bit of fun. I was talking to my daughter about nonsense poems and I suddenly thought of the Jabberwocky so I found the words and put my poetry hat on...

The first poem I thought of was Ning, Nang Nong but that one is less dramatic.

I am off to a wedding reception today. I like it when I am driving somewhere and I only get the details when we leave... life is so exciting that way and it never causes any argument.

I am not sleeping at the moment so I have been thinking a lot about drop-ships. It is going to get to a point where I am seriously going to have to bite the bullet... I just wish I could draw what I am thinking about because it would make life a whole lot easier. The main drive of the design is to have enough space for four Old Crow vehicles and thirty troops. The main cargo area will house the vehicles and there will be gantry steps up to the passenger area above the cargo bay. I have been pondering the whole 'rotating engines' thing but I am really in two minds about it because it seriously complicates things... but at the moment, it is all shapes and lines... and a lack of space.

I have finished my latest story and concluded the trilogy. If you are interested, click these:

Sunday, 12 August 2012

For some strange reason, I decided I was going to partake of a few sips of port last night... and have been having a contemplative day today as a result. A lot of singing and chat... and a chilled out evening was had. Well... I had to sing because I had my Karaoke hat on:

Click the Pic!

I really needed the big fry-up I had today... that is a certainty.

So... I have now finished the Hasslefree Miniatures competition sculpt I was working on:

Click the Pic!

I have time to try a few more but I want to get other things finished so I can't spare the effort. One of the things I have to finish is this:

Click the Pic!

I am getting there... it will be a big headed caricature of a cyclist in Lycra/Spandex. It is coming together a lot quicker than the last one did... which is a good thing.

Saturday, 11 August 2012

I was up at the crack of sparrows today and even after doing some sculpting and checking the forums I still managed to go into town for a coffee before my family materialised. Sometimes, I really don't mind waking up early.

I almost feel like ranting about Facebook... but to be honest, I am in too good a mood for a rant so I won't bother.

I must admit that I had reached a worrying point with my Hasslefree competition sculpt. I had sculpted the complete miniature, hands and all and was at a point where I wanted to add weapons to the forearms... and then I began to worry about messing things up. Fortunately, I had a rush of abandonment this morning and I cracked on regardless and I am happy that the results justify the faith. I haven't quite finished but I am so close that I want to hold off on the pics until it is done.

Space Cowboy got some putty thrown at it this morning as well so he was quite happy. I've also stared to sculpt Pup; the bounty hunter... more on that tomorrow I would suspect. The large sculpt is progressing nicely too... I may even stand a chance of getting it finished before the deadline at this rate.

So, quite a positive start to the day and I have NO PLANS! That's right... I can do whatever the heck I like. I may pop into somewhere later for a change of scenery but today, I will mostly be sculpting and surfing the web... with a hint of what-ever-else thrown in.

In other news, a friend in Spain sent me over three Robogear kits to mess about with so Thanks Eneko (if you are reading this). I am most fond of the spider walker which will end up as... SOMETHING (it's called 'building suspense'). I have plans so watch this space (after I have finished the required sculpts of course).

I also had a small amount of luck with E-bay and have bagged another five Void Archangels for a ludicrously small amount of cash so, one day, I'll be able to field ten of them.

My drop-ship obsession is creeping up on me again and it has even got to a point of how I'll reinforce things when I start building... CRAZY.

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

First of all... Welcome Mathyoo. I hope you enjoy your stay and keep commenting and getting involved.

So, I learned that if you punch hard things really hard, they break but you hurt your sculpting hand. So... no sculpting for at least a couple of days until all the bones realign and the pain dies down a bit.

It is a good excuse to watch sport on the telly... and of course Dog the Bounty Hunter!

I have a plan for Dog... I call it Pup the Bounty Hunter. I just need to get my sculpting hand back and it will all become obvious.

I have been looking at pix of the old Figure Trader dropship and I have been really thinking about how I can build something like it... but not like it. Here's a couple of pics of the beautiful beast:

Clikc the Pics!

Isn't she GORGEOUS?! The trouble is, it isn't quite big enough. I need space for four Old Crow tanks in it... and 28 troops so it needs to be BIG.

Sunday, 5 August 2012

Before I start, I'd like to welcome EinarOlafson and angiegerrard to my blog. Welcome to Inso's World and I hope you both enjoy your stay. Feel free to wander along the paths and comment on things you feel you want to comment about.

I've had a tiring week. Busy at work but not so busy to tire me out... it has been the lack of sleep that has done me in. It isn't all bad though... it frees the mind somewhat so I have been coming up with lots of ideas.

Well... the Grekwood sculpt is finished:

Click the Pic!

Click the Pic!

The first pic shows all the angles and the second one shows the sculpt tabbed up ready to get sent.

... and this leads me to the title of today's post.

When you do what I do and sculpt things, you get an opinion of what you have created. You get this opinion by turning the sculpt over in your hand, studying it from all directions, comparing it to the idea behind the design or the subject you are trying to replicate. You decide in your mind whether it is what you were trying to achieve, not bad.... or one for the bin. The Grekwood sculpt is what I would call 'close enough but not perfect'. I am happy with it, and that is the best measure I have.

Then you put the pictures out there and sit back and wait for the opinions of others.

I would say that sometimes you have to have a thick skin but sometimes you can bask in glory at the praise you get. People throw opinions at you and they can be measured, they can be blunt or they can be down-right rude. Sometimes you agree but other times, no matter how hard you stare at your work, you can't understand how the posted opinion could be reached.

It is difficult, sometimes, to remain objective when you think your work is good but others give reasons for it not being so good but that is the nature of the beast. If you put stuff 'out there' then expect people to have mixed opinions. The only way to stop the mixed opinions is to practice and work even harder to make your work as perfect as you can (even though you may be a little crestfallen at the negative comments you get).

The comments I received about the Grekwood sculpt led to me adjusting the face slightly but because it looks like what I wanted to achieve, I would never change it any further to appease the negative comments... so this is one of those thick skin moments.

Measured opinions require measured responses and with everything being so global nowadays, there is no way you can please everyone.

SO... I've been adding putty to the big armature and here it is at the moment:

Click the Pic!

He is getting there and will end up as a 'Stealth Cyclist'... a cyclist in black Lycra with a black helmet, big head and even bigger grin. He is another gizzit for a colleague who is leaving so I have four weeks to turn it from this into the planned caricature... GULP!

I have also been getting some sculpting done on the space cowboy (which I am not allowed to show off) and my Hasslefree competition sculpt (which isn't enough to show off) so I have been a little bit busy but not busy enough to get everything finished.

Ho-Hum!

See you from the gate at the bottom of the field; where the stream floods in the spring and the cows graze in the summer.